Sugars

Question 1

Name the three major categories of carbohydrates

Answer 1

• monosacchrides
• disaccharides; consists of two monosacchrides
• polysacchrides; composed of hundreds to hundred of thousands of monosacchrides

Question 2

What are optical isomers?

Answer 2

• stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other

- Ex: Glucose and Galactose

Question 3

Why is chirality important?

Answer 3

• different structures of similar molecules can have different functions and organisms can utilize either molecule depending on their needs
• Ex: Cellulose (structural component in plants) vs. Starch (energy storage in plants)

Question 4

Glycosidic linkages

Answer 4

• Term for when two glucose molecules are bonded together
• Glucose, in its ring structure, can have an alpha or beta arrangement, which is the difference in placement of the hydroxyl group on the 1’-Carbon